
RECOLLECTIONS OF A BOYHOOD IN 
GEORGETOWN. 



By WILLIAM A. GORDON. 



Recordfl of Tiie Columbia Historical Socikty, Vol. XX, 191^ 



y ij>(a 



[Reprinteti from Tm: lu. okds ok The CoLiMjti.v Historical Socikty, 
Vol. 'JO, 1917.] 



; RECOLLECTIONS OF A BOYHOOD IX 

N^ GEORGETOWN. 

^\ 

By WILLIAM A. GORDON. 
(Read before the Society, April 18, 1916.) 

At the preseut time when Washington has grown to 
be a large city, when improved lioiising and better sani- 
tation have made living more pleasant and life safer, 
and when lifelong residents know even by sight but few 
of those passed on the street, it is dillicult to picture 
what were the surroundings, what the life, and what 
the manners and customs of the people who lived here 
sixty or seventy years ago. Thanks to the research of 
students and the many books which have been written, 
we are well informed as to the Colonial and Revolu- 
tionary history of our people. This Society has done 
much in collecting and iire.'^erving interesting and val- 
uable historical data relating to the District, especially 
of the period since it was set apart for Federal jmr- 
poses. Little, however, has been written about the 
daily life and customs of the peoidc who lived here. 
If someone equiiJjKMl for the work and enthusiastic on 
the subject would undertake to tell us of the life, man- 
ners and customs of the people of this District during 
the early part of the nineteenth century, as Macauley 
did for the English people, it would be a valuable con- 
tribution to local history .'uid make interesting reading. 

Though feeling hesitation in taking up the time of 
this Society with matters of lighter character than are 
contained in the papers usually read before it, T will 
with your permission and craving your forl>earance, 
tell you of some things whiph made nn indeliblo impres- 



122 Records of the Columbia Historical Society. 

sion on mj' mind during a childhood and early youth 
passed in my native town of Georgetown. 

When I was a child Georgetown was a town of less 
than eight thousand inhabitants; an active commercial 
center with business reaching far into the neighboring 
States and commerce into distant seas. Its people 
were industrious, intelligent and enterprising; good 
citizens, self-reliant, and proud of their town. Life 
was quiet and homelike, and as travel to distant points 
was rarely undertaken and the summer hegira to water- 
ing places unknown, there was a wider acquaintance 
amongst the people, and a closer bond of neighborly 
friendship and intimacy than now exist. Like most 
towns in Maryland and Virginia the houses in the older, 
or western part, were of brick, built directly on the 
street, and except in few cases without grounds either 
in front or on the sides, the gardens for the sake of 
privacy being located in the rear. I mention these 
things to show the surroundings in which I passed my 
early years. 

Negro slavery existed in the town until the time of 
the war between the States, and most of the domestic 
servants were slaves, hired by those not owning them 
generally by the year at moderate wages, with neces- 
sary clothing and medical attention added. When a 
little boy I was much with the servants who lived in 
the house and were recognized as members of the 
family. They were proud of the family to which they 
belonged, were acquainted with its traditions and loved 
to relate them. Many were aristocratic in their ideas, 
to whom changes in social position made no difference, 
as they classed everyone socially according to their 
recollection of what the person's ancestor had been. 
In every family there was a nurse, or "mammy," who 
cared for and exercised despotic authoritj^ over the 



*'?.:' ■ '^^ A^ 



Gordon: Recollections of a BoyJwod in Georgetoxcn. i 23 

children, and would permit no interference with them 
except from the parent. They dearly loved ''their chil- 
dren," as they atfectionately called them, and were 
loved by them. Kelations of mutual interest and aiilec- 
tion existed between the members of the family and the 
servants in the house, very different from relations 
which now exist, where service only is regarded on the 
one side and pay on the other. This feeling of friend- 
ship existed not only between the family and those liv- 
ing in the house, but extended to those who had be- 
longed to the family or had formerly lived with them. 
At Christmas all felt at liberty to come and partake of 
the holiday cheer, most of whom expected and received 
something in the way of a gift ; whilst those of the im- 
mediate household hung up their stockings on Christ- 
mas Eve just as the children did. 

There were many interesting customs amongst the 
negroes. Ordinarily they were not allowed on the 
streets after the town bell rang at nine o'clock at night, 
but at Christmas this restriction was removed, and as 
midnight approached bands of them would go through 
the streets singing hymns and carols before the houses 
of their white friends. I well remember how excited I 
was when waked up, taken from bed, wrapped up 
snugh', and carried to the window to listen to them. As 
many of the men had good voices the singing was un- 
usually sweet. The following morning the leader of 
the band would call at the house and receive a token of 
appreciation in the way of small coin. 

The annual May-day i)arade of the negro drivers 
should also be mentioned. In connection with the busi- 
ness of the town there were many carts, drays and 
wagons driven by negroes. On the first of May all of 
them had holiday and ]>arad('d the streets with vehicles 
and horses adctrncd with bi-iulit-colored papers, ribbons 



124 Records of the Columbia Historical Society. 

and flowers; the drivers in tlieir best with long white 
aprons decorated with huge brilliantly colored rosettes. 
Headed by a band they would march over the town, and 
then go to some neighboring wood to pass the day in 
feasting, dancing and singing. 

As much time was passed within doors everything 
connected with the household was a matter of interest. 
There was no gas or running water in the house; no 
range or cook stove in the kitchen. Water was ob- 
tained either from wells or cisterns in the yard or from 
the public pumps on the street corners. Everyone had 
barrels or hogsheads in which rain water was collected 
for washing purposes, the breeding places of mos- 
quitoes innumerable. The coop in which chickens and 
other fowls were kept and fattened was a necessary 
equipment. Light was furnished from candles, or from 
lamps fed with sperm or lard oil. Generally there was 
also a lantern for use out of doors when visiting at 
night, for the streets were but poorly lighted if at all. 
With the exception of a hard-coal open-grate fire in the 
parlor, sometimes supplemented by a bright cheerful 
wood fire in the then popular ''Franklin" stove, the 
fires were of wood in the open fireplaces or in small air- 
tight stoves. The halls were generally very cold and 
except in large mansions unheated. Wood was sup- 
plied by country wagons and sawed into proper sizes 
by old negro men who followed the trade of ''wood- 
sawyers." In the kitchen was a large open fireplace 
with wide hearth, in which was a swinging crane upon 
which the pots and kettles hung. In addition there 
were numerous ovens of various sizes, with griddles, 
frying pans and other cooking utensils ; also a large tin 
"kitchen" placed on the hearth in front of the fire in 
which turkeys, fowls and roasts of beef were cooked. 
Generally on the side of the fireplace were hooks on 



Gordon: Recollections of a Boi/hood in Georgetoxcn. 125 

wliicli Potomac liorrin.ir, stniii.a: upon lonp: sticks, wore 
liiing to dry. '' Jolmny-cake," made of cornineal dou^h 
spread on barrel-head boards, was cooked by being 
propped up before the fire. The liot 'Mohnny-cake" 
and the roe herrin.c: of those days, wliich cannot l)e liad 
by the present method of cooking, was food lit for tlie 
gods, and the delight of our childhood. We had abun- 
dance of molasses, not the tasteless syrups and things 
now called by that name, but thick golden New Orleans 
molasses, good to the taste and sight. In summer there 
was abundance of fruit, berries of all kinds, apricots, 
plums, peaches, pears and melons. Fish of every kind 
were abundant, as the town was a great fish market; in 
fact food of every kind was plentiful and moderate in 
price. 

Christmas was the great day of the year, and for 
weeks housekeepers were busy preparing for it. Every 
variety of cake and every kind of sweets were made 
(for there was no confectioner to call upon), which 
with ham, turkey and other substantials, were spread 
out in the dining room. Open house was kept and 
friends and neighbors were expected to call. There 
was much holiday visiting amongst tlie cliildren, in fact 
it was considered a slight if one's plaxTiiates failed to 
come in and partake of the ''goodies" and admire the 
simple but no less prized presents. At all times of the 
year there was much hospitality, and whenever visitors 
called cake and wine, and on winter afternoons tea and 
thin wafers, were handed around l)y the servants. 

riiildren of the same age played together, and when 
quite young the little negroes were welcome compan- 
ions. Generally the playgrounds were in the enclosures 
about the houses, though occasionally the neighlior- 
hood was visited in search of adventure, and to climb 
up into tlic loft of a stable and roll over in the sweet 



I 26 Records of the Columbia Historical Society. 

smelling hay was a special delight. In our neighbor- 
hood there was much to interest little boys. Nearby 
was the large and airy shop of a builder, who employed 
many skilled carpenters, where shutters, doors, window 
frames and other things, now manufactured by machin- 
ery, were made. Here, conditioned upon good be- 
havior, the boys were permitted to go and watch the 
workmen; and the smell of the woods and shavings 
pleased as much as the skill of the men astonished. In 
this shop coffins were also made, and this branch of the 
business interested more than any other. I do not 
know what ambition filled the minds of all the boys, 
but I do know that some of them were so impressed 
with the mystery and fascination of coffin-making that 
they determined to be undertakers in after life. There 
were also several tanneries and a mill for grinding 
bark nearby. The vats, skins and everything connected 
with the tanneries, especially the gruesome stories of 
men who had been drowned in the vats, interested ; but 
not so much so as the bark mill with the j^atient horses 
traveling around the ring and supplying the motor 
power. The mill was presided over by a rosy-faced, 
loud-voiced, kind-hearted giant, a pleasant host to the 
visiting boys. On work days they liked him, but on 
parade day, when as pioneer of one of the volunteer 
military companies he appeared in brilliant uniform 
with huge bear-skin hat on head, white sheepskin apron 
around waist, and glittering broad-axe on shoulder, he 
was simply magnificent, and considered by them a kind 
of derai-god. 

The little boys were of course greatly interested in 
everything engaged in by those older and larger, and 
to be allowed to go with them or take part in their sport 
was considered a special favor. Generally the big boys, 
while they did not wish to be bothered with the little 



Gordon: RccoUcctions of a Boyhood in Georgetown. 127 

ones, were kind and there were but few if any cases of 
bullyiug. Of course there was some lighting amongst 
the small boys, doing no harm so long as stones were 
not used, and under the code amongst them it was not 
considered the fail- tiling for lioys in the same crowd to 
use stones. 

As the boys grew older there 'was much fighting be- 
tween the ''crowds" living in different sections of the 
town, and between the boys of "Washington and George- 
town. It was dangerous for a boy from one section of 
the town to venture alone into another, an attack and 
sometimes severe beating being the almost invarial)le 
result, the free use of stones adding an additional dan- 
ger. Crowds from one part of the town would invade 
another part, armed with sticks and stones, and shriek- 
ing party cries. At first the march was unopposed, Init 
rapidly the boys of the invaded district gathered and 
drove the enemy from the field. The severest conflicts, 
however, were between the boys of the two cities of 
Washington and Georgetown at the Paper Mill Bridge 
over Rock Creek, for possession of which they fought 
with great desperation. As there were only two or 
three constables to preserve peace by day and a like 
nuiulier of watchmen to guard proi)erty by night, these 
encounters were seldom interfered with. In our part 
of the town the constable was a large, powerful, dark- 
featured man, who was believed to have been a circus 
performer and to have killed his man. All the boys 
were afraid of him and would retire into the house on 
his a]ii)roach. The night watchman Avas a small, round, 
jolly man, with kind words to the children, who were 
fond of and regarded him as their i)rotector. He 
patrolled the town by night and called out the hours: 
''One o'clock, a fair bright night, all's well," or "Four 
o'clock, a sharp cold morning, all's well." 



1 28 Records of the Columbia Historical Society. 

Children were then clothed very differently from 
now. Boys under eight years of age wore dresses with 
skirts to below the knees, buckled around the waist with 
belts, legs covered with stiff white paddies reaching to 
the ankles, and head with little velvet or cloth skull 
caps. Later their dress would be a cloth roundabout 
or jacket, generally worn open, adorned with brilliant 
brass buttons, and covered at the neck with huge stiff 
linen collars, and narrow trousers reaching to the 
ankles. The head dress would be straw hats in summer 
and cloth caps with stiff leather visors in winter. In 
spite of this uncomfortable costume they no doubt had 
equally as good a time as the boys of the present day. 

The little children were sent at an early age to what 
were known as ''Dames Schools," where they learned 
to read and write. The subjects taught were of the 
simplest nature, and I now believe the little ones were 
sent to these schools not for what they would learn but 
to be taken care of. As they grew up the boys went to 
the higher schools, where the hours were long and the 
holidays few and far between, at the head of which 
were men whose reputations as scholars and adminis-. 
trators extended far beyond the limits of the District. 
Here close and lifetime friendships between the stud- 
ents were made. When the war between the States 
commenced manj^ of them went into the Confederate 
and a lesser number into the Union army. At the end 
of the contest the survivors came home and old inti- 
macies were resumed, and I do not know of a single case 
where friendships between them were interfered with 
in the slightest degree. 

One of the first things I can remember is in connec- 
tion with the Mexican war. The negro servants, though 
they knew nothing about Mexico nor about war, did 
know that a war was going on and that many men from 



Gordon: Recollections of a Boyhood m Georgetoxcn. i 29 

the town wore enj^aged in it. It was a topic of continual 
talk amongst them, and of course the children heard 
them talk. They would point to the long line of crows 
winging their way south in the morning and homewards 
in the afternoon, and tell us they flew to the l)attloru'lds 
of Mexico to feast upon the bodies of soldiers who had 
been killed. These superstitious people as well as the 
credulous children believed this to be true. Later the 
volunteers, clad in their light blue uniforms and caps, 
returned from Mexico, many of them marching through 
Bridge Street on their way home, and though very 
young we were taken to see them. They generally 
crossed the river over the aqueduct bridge and were 
entertained by George Washington Parke CusUs at the 
great spring on his Arlington estate. Just before or 
after his election to the presidency. General Zachary 
Tavlor was entertained by the people of the town at the 
Union Hotel, where I saw the then popular hero, and 
can distinctly recall his appearance. Many officers who 
had taken part in the war visited the town, and the 
children were delighted to see and hear them, though I 
doubt if much was heard about their military deeds, 
soldiers generally being modest and little given to talk- 
ing about their personal achievements. 

Children had but little money in those days, but in 
spite of the fact that there were no soda-water foun- 
tains, slot machines, nor moving-picture shows, they 
had but little dilhculty in getting rid of their pennies. 
In many of the small one-story brick houses, peculiar to 
old Georgetown, negro "Aunties" were ready to wel- 
come and furnish them with sweets at the universal 
price of one cent. Honey cakes, thin and intensely 
sweet, horse cakes of gingerbread in shajie resenil)ling 
no animal in nature or mythology, large balls of black 
taffy and long twisted sticks of yellow taffy, were at- 
9* 



I30 Records of the Columbia Historical Society. 

tractive on account of quantity rather than quality 
Being made from pure materials they were probably 
less mjurious than the low-priced sweets now sold. 

As in all river towns the water front had great fasci- 
nations for the boys and along it much of their time was 
passed in summer. They learned to swim when very 
young, and as they grew older became perfectly at 
home in the water and expert divers. At the wharves, 
which extended along the whole front of the town, were 
generally numbers of vessels loading and unloading. 
Water Street, which was occupied by the wholesale 
merchants, offered many attractions. It was a busy 
place, the street crowded with carts and drays, and at 
certain seasons of the year with lines of large covered 
wagons, drawn by four or six horse teams with bows 
of bells on shoulders, and loaded with produce from 
Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia; the warehouses 
filled with flour, tobacco, whiskey, salt, grain and other 
merchandise. One place was a source of never-ending 
delight, the old warehouses on the western part of the 
street near the aqueduct bridge, which in the early' 
days of the town had been used as depots by the Indian 
traders. From time to time the iron-bound doors were 
opened and the boys allowed to ruromage around. By 
digging in the moist dirt floors they were able to find 
Indian beads and bells. The beads were like sections 
of pipe stems about an inch long made of highly glazed 
earthenware, and in color red, blue, white and "parti- 
colors, and being of varied degrees of rarity had estab- 
lished value amongst and were used for trading pur- 
poses by the boys. Almost in front of these warehouses 
on the river bank was a large saw-mill of heavy tim- 
bers, not enclosed, where the logs which had been 
floated down the river were hauled up and sawed into 
lumber. Next to this mill was an iron furnace or 



Gordon: RecoUcctions of a Boyhood in Gcorgetoxcn. i 3 i 

smelter where to the delight of the boys the workmen, 
generally naked to the waist, moved about in the glare 
of the molten metal. Then there were the numerous 
flour mills and a cotton factory which we were allowed 
on rare occasions to visit, the intricate machinery of 
which inspired admiration and astonishment. Another 
place we liked to get permission to visit was Brown's 
bakery, on the north side of the street, where the ship- 
biscuit, or hard-tack, used in the United States Xavy, 
was baked. The place was clean and permeated with a 
sweet moist smell, and to see the process of mixing the 
flour, forming the dough in shapes, i)utting it into and 
taking it from the ovens, and packing the biscuits, was 
interesting; but to be presented with a large warm 
newly-baked biscuit was a delight. A short distance 
lower was the Corporation Fish Wharf, where thou- 
sands of shad and hundreds of thousands of her- 
ring were brought by the small river vessels 
and sold. Here the fish were cleaned for salting 
and packing by negro fish-women, rough and profane 
of speech, but generally kind to the boys of their ac- 
quaintance. In front of the wharf, which was a vile- 
smelling place, the boys would fish, su))i>lied with l)ait 
by the fish-women, and as great numbers of small fish 
were attracted by the offal swept into the river, as 
many as desired could easily be caught. Still lower 
down was the Dodge warehouse, a never ending source 
of delight. The firm was engaged in trading in their 
own vessels with the West Indies and South America, 
and were large importers of sugar and molasses. Each 
year a sale took place, the wharves being covered with 
hogsheads, and buyers from the large cities of tlie 
North attending. On these occasions, the boys were 
allowed to move about through the rows of hogsliends 
supplied wiili long straws, wjiicli they would dip 



132 Records of the Columbia Historical Society. 

through tlie bungliole open for inspection and feast on 
the molasses drawn out. The counting house was capa- 
cious, and decorated with curios brought from the 
tropics, such as fl™g fish, shark's jaws, and sword- 
fish and saw-fish. On tlie sale days elaborate lunches 
were served, with fine cigars and every variety of 
drinkables for the guests. Out from the counting room 
extended a wide platform overlooking the river, fur- 
nished with chairs and benches, which on warm sum- 
mer afternoons was used as a meeting and lounging 
place by the friends of the proprietors. At that time 
there was a great distinction between wholesale ' ' mer- 
chants" and retail "shopkeepers," and a line distinctly 
drawn, the former being within the magic social circle, 
the latter outside of it. The captains of the trading 
vessels were very kind to the boys, and on their return 
from a voyage would give them sugar cane, oranges 
and other tropical fruit; invite them to join at meals 
(and how greatly enjoyed was what we considered 
sailor's food) ; and loan them the small boats for row- 
ing and sculling. 

The river above the town as far as the Little Falls 
bridge wag often visited by way of the tow-path. This 
took us past the celebrated Foxall Foundry, where 
cannon for the United States Navy were made, and 
around which in every direction castings of guns and 
balls were scattered. And also past Edes Mill, situated 
at the point where the canal of the old Potomac Com- 
pany entered the river. At this latter place fish larger 
than those to be found in front of the town could be 
caught, and, as we were on friendly terms with the 
miller's family and had the freedom of the grounds, it 
was a charming spot to pass the warm bright days of 
early summer. On the canal bank opposite the mill 
lived a man, who on account of his great strength was 



Gordon : IhroUfctious of a liojjhood in Georgetown. 133 

known as -Bull" Frizzle. On liim the hoys alwavs 
turned admiring looks as in their estimation he was' a 
hero, having on the occasion of an accident at the Little 
Falls bridge crawled under a huge beam, and unas- 
sisted prized it up by the strength of his broad l)ack, 
thereby saving the life of the man pinned beneath it. 
Above the mill were several fishing shores, and it was 
a delight to watch the boats bufifeted by the swift rapids 
and see the well-filled nets dragged to shore. In times 
of floods the lower part of the town was in a state of 
great excitement; merchants busy in removing goods 
to places of safetj', sailors working to secure vessels at 
the wharves from being carried away, and fishermen 
and dwellers on the waterside risking their lives in se- 
curing valuables coming down in the current or sup- 
plies of drift wood for the winter. When the water 
was unusually high every point of vantage was crowded 
with spectators. 

Just west of Georgetown College and north of the 
canal road was a large and beautiful sheet of water 
known as ^ College Pond," the favorite skating place 
of the young people, and older ones also, living in the 
western part of the town. This is mentioned for the 
reason that but few of the present generation know 
anything of this beautiful ])ond wliich no longer exists, 
having gradually been filled with washings from the 
surrounding hills. 

Much of the time was passed in the country near the 
town, more along the valley of Rock Creek than else- 
where. Our wanderings took us long distances \\\) that 
stream and over the tracts now covered by the park, 
and though always beautiful its beauty did not then 
impress mo as it now does. The land ])ordering on the 
creek was held in large parcels and occujiied as homes 
by the owners, which in a gi-ent measure accounts for 



134 Records of the Columbia Historical Society. 

the fact that the woods were not destroyed nor the 
natural beauty interfered with. 

During the Fall great droves of cattle and flocks of 
sheep from western Virginia were driven through town. 
Gathered together at Drovers Eest about two miles 
west of the town, they were driven to Baltimore and 
eastern cities. Some days they numbered many thou- 
sands and filled West (now P) Street from early morn- 
ing to late afternoon. Generally there was no trouble, 
but occasionally a wild steer ran amuck to the general 
alarm. In addition large flocks of turkeys, hundreds 
of them, were driven from lower Maryland. Their slow 
and deliberate movements and constant gobbling never 
failed to attract attention. When any one wished a 
turkey for dinner, it was only necessary to go to the 
enclosure where they were kept, select a bird, and pay 
for it what would now be considered almost nothing. 
I doubt if a drove of turkeys has come to this District 
within the past fifty years or more. 

Of course there were fires and a fire company, and 
nothing caused greater excitement amongst the boys 
than the wild clanging of the alarm bell, which hung 
in the belfry of the engine house and was heard all over 
the town. They considered "The Old Vigilant" the 
greatest engine and its men the bravest crew in the 
whole country. Though not permitted to run with the 
"machine," they would run along near it, and watch 
and criticize every movement of the men. This was 
before the days of a paid fire department, and the 
members of the company were all volunteers. There 
were two machines, a suction and an engine ; the former 
drew in the water and the latter threw it upon the fire ; 
both were drawn through the streets by hand and also 
worked by hand. In cases of large fires the Washing- 
ton companies came over to assist, and whilst during 



Gordon: BecoUcct'ions of a Boi/hood in Georgetoicn. 135 

the progi'ess of the fire all worked harmoniously to- 
gether, so soon as it was extinguished fighting between 
the rival companies almost always began. These en- 
counters were topics of conversation for weeks after 
the event. 

The subject of politics would from time to time dis- 
turb the pleasant relations existing between the boys, 
as they were as fixed in their political leanings and as 
ardent Democrats or Whigs as their elders. During 
national campaigns feelings ran very high, each boy had 
a pole in his yard from which floated a party flag, and 
the abuse and vituperation indulged in by the two 
parties passed freely between them. When the election 
was over, peace returned and politics were banished 
from their discussions. Partisan feeling in those days 
ran very high and frequent political meetings were 
held, but being at night the boys saw but little of them. 
After an important election, however, the victors gave 
expression to their joy by torch-light processions, 
illumination of residences and great bonfires in various 
parts of the town, to which the children were taken and 
which they enjo^'ed more tlian the grown folks. 

In tlie extreme western part of the town, near the 
Catholic Church and College and Convent, dwelt the 
Irish, a wild-looking, undisciplined and turbulent peo- 
ple, different in every way from their countrymen 
amongst us at the present day, both men and women 
being much given to fighting and di-iiiking. It was be- 
lieved, and was probal)ly true, that no one could control 
them except their priests. St. Patrick's Day was the 
great occasion of the year with them, when, headed by 
a band, decorated with green regalia, and bearing ban- 
ners, they paraded the streets. Many were the fights 
which took place along the line of march, U^Y they were 
impatient of criticism or derisive remarks, es]iecially 



136 Records of the Columbia Historical Society. 

after having imbibed a little. Frequently when the 
morning of the "Day" dawned a "stuffed paddy" 
would be found hanging from a tree or sign ; the figure 
a suit of clothes stuffed with straw, surmounted by a 
dilapidated beaver hat, with a string of fish and pota- 
toes around the neck, an empty whiskey bottle sticking 
from the pocket, and generally labeled "Paddy got 
drunk on fish and potatoes. ' ' The sight of one of these 
figures on St. Patrick's Day was to an Irishman more 
infuriating than a red handkerchief to a mad bull. 

The Fourth of July was a great day, and for many 
years was celebrated at Parrot t's Woods, now the site 
of Oak Hill Cemetery. All the Protestant Sunday 
Schools participated. In the morning they met at the 
various churches, and then uniting marched to the 
grounds headed by a band. Each school had a dis- 
tinctive color, red, blue, green, yellow and white, and 
each scholar was decorated with a rosette of the same. 
Each school had its banner, and to be a banner bearer 
was considered a great honor. Heading the diff'erent 
schools were two boys, called "pivot boys," bearing 
small flags, and on turning a corner these boys crossed 
their flags and the schools marched under them. On 
arriving at the woods the day was celebrated. Patriotic 
songs were sung, the Star Spangled Banner never 
being omitted, and addresses made by young college 
graduates. Later in the day speeches were made by 
the elders. Townsmen of all classes participated, and 
barrels of lemonade and abundance of eatables of every 
kind were provided ; everything was free and all were 
welcomed. After a somewhat strenuous day parents 
and children returned home tired out but patriotically 
happy. 

The needs of the town required many taverns, and 
on High Street (now Wisconsin Avenue) were several 



Gordon: liccolhrtiotts of a Boyhood in Georgetown. 137 

nuK'h frequented by teamsters, drovers and small 
farmers. xVttached to each were Iarg:e courtyards with 
extensive stabling where the many wagons and teams 
could be cared for. In the late afternoon these taverns 
were l)nsy and hustling places. In addition there were 
a number of hotels, the principal one being the Union 
Hotel, formerly Crawfords, which occupied the north- 
east corner of M and 30th Streets, with additions ex- 
tending northwardly to Olive Avenue, wliich in its day 
was a famous hostelry and as such continued for many 
years after the war. In the days before my birth it 
was the stopping place of the most distinguished men 
in public life. AVilliam Wirt in a letter written to his 
wife from Georgetown on October 14, 1814, not two 
months after the British had burned the Capitol, says : 

"Here I am at Crawfords. I am surrounded by a vast 
crowd of legislators and gentlemen, assembled here for the 
races, which are to commence tomorrow. The races? amidst 
the ruins and desolation of Washington," 

In my day it was the home of many ladies and gentle- 
men, friends of our family, and I went there frequently. 
The main building differed but little from others, but 
north of this and running north upon 30th Street to 
the next street was a wing of one or two stories high 
and one room deep, the doors opening into a covered 
corridor supported by brick arches, beyond which was 
a large courtyard paved with stone. The rooms along 
this corridor were occupied entirely by gentlemen, 
many being planters from the lower river counties of 
Maryland and Virginia. On the opposite side of the 
courtyard was a large building in which was a fine ball- 
room known as 'Tompean TTall" from its mural dec- 
orations in wliich ]niblic entertainments and functions 
were held. In the older days on more than one occasion 
parties had gone from these festivities to the duelling 



138 Records of the Columbia Historical Society. 

ground, resulting in one instance at least in the death 
of a participant. In the rear of the court were stables 
in which carriages owned by or for the use of guests 
were kept. 

Transportation was attended with considerable dis- 
comfort for those not blessed with their own convey- 
ances. There were two or three public hacks driven 
by old colored men, used on rare occasions or for funer- 
als, though generally as a mark of respect all walked 
to the graveyard. Two of these funerals where all at- 
tending were on foot made an impression on my mind 
which is still vivid. One, that of Archbishop Eccleston 
of Baltimore, who was greatly interested in the educa- 
tion of girls under the care of the Sisters of the Visita- 
tion, and died in a small house on Fayette Street near 
the Convent in 1851 during a visit to Georgetown. His 
remains were borne through the streets, on the way 
to the railroad depot on Pennsylvania Avenue near 
the Capitol, attended by acolytes swinging censers, 
lighted candles and many priests and church digni- 
taries. An impressive and unusual sight ! The other, 
that of Mr. Bodisco, the Russian Minister, in 1854, 
when on the way to Oak Hill Cemetery his two nephews 
Boris and Waldimer, both very handsome young men, 
clad in white uniforms, marched on either side of the 
hearse, accompanied by the attaches of his legation and 
othcers of his household, also in uniform. For those 
who had business at the executive departments in 
Washington, or ''the city" as we called it, and were 
too old or did not care to walk, there were omnibuses 
which went over in the morning and returned in the 
early afternoon; and later omnibuses which made 
liourly trips. Stages ran every day to Rockville, and 
once or more a week to Leesburg or neighboring towns. 
A steamboat, the old Salem, made regular trips down 



Gordon: livcoUections of a Boyliood in Georgetown. 139 

the Potomac to the river landings, and the canal carried 
many pa^^scngers up the river to the western country. 

Of course things interested the boys more than per- 
sons, but there were many characters in the town who 
made an impression upon our minds by what appeared 
peculiarities or by what was said about them. One or 
two tottering old men said to have l)een Revolutionary 
soldiers, old gentlemen still clinging to their knee 
breeches, old ladies with turbans on head and canes in 
hand. Then from time to time men distinguished in 
the history of the country drove or rode through the 
streets, the observed of all observers. To the boys, 
however, the most interesting sight was the foreign 
ministers, residing in the town, when on state occasions 
they appeared in brilliant uniforms, and in the case of 
the Russian minister seated in a gilded coach with 
driver and footman clad in bright uniforms. Then 
there were the high leather-spring coaches of residents, 
and old-fashioned two-wheeled gigs driven by old gen- 
tlemen. The people and surroundings were in almost 
every respect different from those of the present day. 

Perhaps you have wondered why I have said nothing 
in regard to girls; but you must remember that the 
boys to 'whom I have referred were under fifteen years 
of age, and the fair sex, whatever the influence exerted 
in later years, occupied but little of their attention. 
They were real boys, not young gentlemen, who loved 
the open, played in the streets free from automobiles 
jand motorcycles, and made their excursions on foot 
no matter how great the distance traveled. Nothing 
was thouglit of tramping out to the house of some boy 
friend in the country five or six miles from home, and 
after a strenuous day in the fields and woods tramping 
back again, and many holidays were happily passed in 
improvised camps where first lessons in simple cooking 



140 Records of the Columbia Historical Society. 

were acquired. They were just boys, strong, active, 
interested in and prying into everything, and though 
full of mischief for the most part fairly good. The life 
they led was in no way the life of the city boy of the 
present day, but rather that of boys in small country 
towns. Their days were full of adventure and they 
got much out of life. After many years it is pleasant 
to recall the surroundings and occupation of my child- 
hood days. 



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